


And Many More

by calico_fiction



Series: little cuts [24]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alien Biology, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Jotunn Biology (Marvel), Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Pranks and Practical Jokes, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Rivalry, Snowball Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28416309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calico_fiction/pseuds/calico_fiction
Summary: Thor is not going to fall for it this time. No he is not.(Yes he is.)
Relationships: Loki & Thor (Marvel)
Series: little cuts [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1121556
Comments: 3
Kudos: 77





	And Many More

Thor is happy for Loki, and so so proud of him, to be slowly coming in to his Jotunn natures. He has not yet seen fit to show Thor his skin, but Thor is carefully concealing his eagerness for it lest he be mistaken for impatient. But sometimes in the night, Thor will wake to an unnatural frost crawling over the bedroom windowpane, or he'll find a rather unflattering ice sculpture of himself in the freezer when he goes looking for ice cream after a dinner away.

The difference is the most stark in Loki himself. It's almost like having his old brother back, but better. Loki of old would copycat Thor sometimes - trying to fit into shoes, Thor knows now, that simply would never fit. He had wielded his cleverness as a weapon even against friends, and frequently lost hold of his temper or else fell into a long quiet sadness during which he would hide away in the darkest corners of the palace. Loki now of course still has his moments of rage or heartbreak, but they grow more brief and less frequent every day.

So, really. Thor couldn't be happier for him.

He just wishes, sometimes, that Loki might've found a new test subject by now.

The snowball that hits Thor square between the shoulders is over-large and hard packed. When it hits him, soft coat over firm armor, it explodes and sends snow and rocks up over the back of his neck and under his collar. Thor stops walking, but he does not turn around to find the culprit. Loki is one step _ahead_ of him.

"What?" Loki asks innocently when he catches Thor's glower.

"If you're going to play," Thor commands, using the voice he uses as King that he knows has no effect on Loki at best (at worst, it makes him break into peals of laughter at Thor's expense). "At least play fair."

"I didn't do anything," Loki insists, but the sly grin stretching his mouth across his pointy face belies his words. Thor doesn't deign to give that an answer, instead continuing their trek across the pristine snowy lawn outside of Avengers Compound. Loki had read in some book that the Midgardians who worship them as Gods had once celebrated their birthdays for weeks on end, and he had decided he wanted nothing more. Of course, if he had claimed it was an important cultural tradition at his own birthday no one would have believed him, and so he had first requested it for Thor's. Such as it is that Thor is now enduring his fourth birthday party of the year. It had seemed a rare offering of mercy when Loki had taken him outside for a breath of fresh air, but Thor is rethinking his brother's motivations now.

The wood that lines the borders of the campus is mixed with both deciduous and evergreen trees. Blanketed as they are in snow and sparkling with ice, they are perhaps even more beautiful now than in the height of summer. The snow crunches underneath their feet as they walk, and Thor watches Loki's back. His brother stands out boldly from the bright white of their surroundings with his dark hair and clothing of the same shade. He doesn't wear a coat; he doesn't need to, and doesn't bother to fake Æsir or human weaknesses anymore. Thor hesitates a moment before he speaks, unsure of how his words will be taken. But Loki's idea of playing has always been to show off, so perhaps...

"Can you see anything in the wood?" Loki glances back at him with pale green eyes. He holds Thor's gaze for a long time, no doubt thinking hard though his face shows nothing but bland curiosity. Finally, Loki decides.

At first Thor's heart leaps into his throat, because the slow crawl of red over Loki's eyes looks like an injury. But Loki blinks without discomfort, and Thor's instinctual worry fades as easily as the jade of Loki's Æsir irises. His Jotunn eyes appear not to have irises at all, though that might just be because his own vision cannot distinguish them. This is the first time Thor has seen any part of Loki's birth skin, aside from that brief glance on the BiFrost that even now doesn't quite feel real. Loki scrutinizes Thor for long moments, but he doesn't wait for Thor to figure out the right thing to say before he turns back to look across the expanse of white into the wood. With relief Thor looks too, though he can see little in such an endless monochrome, with the ice sparkling in the late afternoon sun.

"There," Loki says, sudden but quiet. He points and Thor steps closer to peer along the angle of his arm. "A fox and her kit." Thor sees nothing, only snow and patches of brown tree bark. "Right there," Loki insists, emphasizing his point before tugging Thor to the side to stand where Loki had been. "Look closer." Thor does, leaning forward and squinting, paying no heed to his brother who still holds his elbow with both hands.

The snowball hits Thor in the back of the head so hard it nearly sends him toppling. Loki lets go of him as he stumbles and dances just out of reach, cackling.

"Fine," Thor growls when he has straightened himself up and brushed the melting snow out of his hair and face. With little effort, he begins to gather a dark cloud above them. "I guess we won't be playing fair, then." War is declared. Loki glances upwards as thunderclouds thicken, seemingly unconcerned. He looks back to Thor to sink into a ready stance, and grins wickedly.

Above his smile Loki's eyes are still red, and Thor couldn't be happier.


End file.
